Semiotics of Happiness

Rhetorical beginnings of a public problem

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Theory, Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Linguistics, Reference
Cover of the book Semiotics of Happiness by Ashley Frawley, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ashley Frawley ISBN: 9781472523303
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: February 26, 2015
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Language: English
Author: Ashley Frawley
ISBN: 9781472523303
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: February 26, 2015
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Language: English

The Semiotics of Happiness examines the rise of 'happiness' (and its various satellite terminologies) as a social and political semiotic, exploring its origins in the US and subsequent spread into the UK and across the globe.

The research takes as its starting point the development of discussions about happiness in UK newspapers in which dedicated advocates began to claim that a new 'science of happiness' had been discovered and argued for social and political change on its behalf. Through an in-depth analysis of the written and visual rhetoric and subsequent activities of these influential 'claims-makers', Frawley argues that happiness became a serious political issue not because of a growing unhappiness in society nor a demand 'on the ground' for new knowledge about it, but rather because influential and dedicated 'insiders' took the issue on at a cultural moment when problems cast in emotional terms were particularly likely to make an impact.

Emerging from the analysis is the observation that, while apparently positive and light-hearted, the concern with happiness implicitly affirms a 'vulnerability' model of human functioning, encourages a morality of low expectations, and in spite of the radical language used to describe it, is ultimately conservative and ideally suited to an era of 'no alternative' (to capitalism).

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Semiotics of Happiness examines the rise of 'happiness' (and its various satellite terminologies) as a social and political semiotic, exploring its origins in the US and subsequent spread into the UK and across the globe.

The research takes as its starting point the development of discussions about happiness in UK newspapers in which dedicated advocates began to claim that a new 'science of happiness' had been discovered and argued for social and political change on its behalf. Through an in-depth analysis of the written and visual rhetoric and subsequent activities of these influential 'claims-makers', Frawley argues that happiness became a serious political issue not because of a growing unhappiness in society nor a demand 'on the ground' for new knowledge about it, but rather because influential and dedicated 'insiders' took the issue on at a cultural moment when problems cast in emotional terms were particularly likely to make an impact.

Emerging from the analysis is the observation that, while apparently positive and light-hearted, the concern with happiness implicitly affirms a 'vulnerability' model of human functioning, encourages a morality of low expectations, and in spite of the radical language used to describe it, is ultimately conservative and ideally suited to an era of 'no alternative' (to capitalism).

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book Sympathetic Sentiments by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book The Poverty of Eros in Plato’s Symposium by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book A World Without "Whom" by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Shared Authority by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book The War Against Chaos by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Brecht In Context by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Ideas and Debates in Family Law by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Politics and the Peasantry in Post-War Turkey by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Hitler’s Russian & Cossack Allies 1941–45 by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Moonshine by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book The Privilege Against Self-Incrimination and Criminal Justice by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book The Almost King by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Bucolic Ecology by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book Financing for Overcoming Economic Insecurity by Ashley Frawley
Cover of the book The Winnowing Fan by Ashley Frawley
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy